Regal hands out one million copies of inaugural 'Moviebill'

Moviebill's inaugural issue reached moviegoers with the opening of Avengers: Infinity War at Regal theatres. In just two days, all one million copies of issue one were in the hands of audiences all over the U.S.

Moviebill, a collectible magazine hand-delivered to Regal moviegoers, features fully integrated augmented reality (AR) technology, accessible with the Regal mobile app. The AR integration was deployed on all nine million users apps, and engagement for the weekend exceeded two million scans, the largest reported AR engagement in the history of the industry.

The hybrid media publication and mobile experience is the first of its kind, and the largest deployed theatrical handout in the movie business. Based on April 27 opening weekend's distribution, Moviebill now has a significantly high circulation for an entertainment magazine, reaching the same levels as EntertainmentWeekly (1.5 million) and Vanity Fair (1.2 million).

"The amazing reception and high engagement went beyond our expectations," said Matthew Shreder and James Andrew Felts, co-founders of Moviebill. "Augmented reality is the theatrical counterpart for the mobile/digital space and produces similar consumer attention. We are seeing exponentially higher engagement and dwell time compared to other digital platforms. Opening-weekend moviegoers are some of the most engaged, passionate and active consumers in the media world and we are thrilled to provide a unique experience just for them at the moment when they are most excited to see the film."

Following the distribution of Moviebill, the Regal mobile app was a top trending app in the Apple app store over the weekend. During this time frame, downloads of the Regal mobile app more than tripled the average weekend benchmark.

"Moviebill embodies innovation in the cinema and we are excited to be at the forefront of that and are very pleased with how our audiences responded," said Ken Thewes, chief marketing officer at Regal.

Theatres across the country were tasked with handing out each issue of Moviebill to incoming Avengers: Infinity War ticketholders, which resulted in over 95% distribution accuracy across all Regal Cinemas nationwide, including Guam and Alaska. After running out of copies at various theatres, moviegoers continued to inquire about copies. "The response from theatres all over the country has been spectacular," said Oliver Barnett, senior VP of distribution at Moviebill. "We've received accolades from many theatre managers stating how excited their guests were to receive Moviebill."

Moviebill is slated for eight more issues throughout the year, including for Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom and Mission: Impossible—Fallout.